


call it what you want

by Dangerbroom



Category: The Worst Witch (TV 2017)
Genre: Cute, Eventual Hicsqueak, Fluff, HB - Freeform, Tattoos, hecabae, hecate has a daughter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:20:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25941988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dangerbroom/pseuds/Dangerbroom
Summary: when a fifth years transference spell goes wrong, Mildred Hubble ends up in Miss Hardbroom's chambers. She'd expected the woman to be growling and seething with rage, but instead, the sight of Hecate cuddling close with a child that looked scarily like her greeted Mildred.Before long, the two girls, Betty and Mildred, become friends. As Betty is none-magical, Hecate is worried that she will stray and chase what she cannot have.What will happen in the lives of Betty and Hecate Hardbroom, down to an interfering Betty and Mildred?
Relationships: Hardbroom/Pentangle (Worst Witch)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 53





	1. transference gone wrong

**Author's Note:**

> I had this ridiculous idea, and perhaps the summary says too much...  
> 

The fifth years had convinced Mildred, a first year, that letting them transfer her to the school kitchens would be a simple heist, a small robbery that would go down in history. So long as Mildred was quick, she could escape with the sought after food without being caught. 

“Make sure to go into the cupboard above the chopping boards, that’s where she keeps all the sweet bread and cake for Cackle.” Said Philis Potterson, who had heard Mildred complaining to Maud that she hadn’t had any dinner, due to the indigestibleness of Mrs Tapioca’s cooking. Mildred nodded, scared about what she was about to do. “Close your eyes. And remember, don’t open them for ten seconds or you’ll be sick.” 

It should be easy, she assured herself. After all, Philis and Mina always did things like this. In fact, she should probably consider herself lucky that she was being included.  
She felt herself passing through the air, from one place to another. The kitchen, granted, felt a lot warmer than she’d expected it to at nine o’clock at night. It felt cosy, almost. But a moment later, a tiny voice in her head asked her what else she could sense.

Under her lids, she could see nothing but darkness. That would have been fine, if she couldn’t smell the sweet blackberry and blueberry scent that she had always associated with her potions mistress, Miss Hardbroom. Mildred could hear the crackle of a fire, and as she opened her eyes, the sight of a bookshelf filled to the brim with books greeted her, and she just knew that she was in exactly the wrong place.

Her eyes quickly scanned the titles: The Bell Jar, The Great Gatsby, Potions, herbs and their properties, and things alike. As well as quite a lot of Shakespeare, Plath and Austen. If Mildred were less observant, she probably wouldn’t be inwardly panicking like she was now. But these were all things she had seen Miss Hardbroom carrying around with her and reading. Titles which oh-so-suited the older woman.  
Her breaths came fast as she slowly turned around, expecting to see the furious figure of her potions mistress… expecting detention for the rest of her school days… perhaps even an early grave…  
She bit her lip to stop herself from crying as she turned, and was grateful she had when she saw the unexpected sight before her, a gasp strangled in her throat. Her eyes grew wide, and chest constricted.

By the fire were two red plush armchairs opposite one another. However, the one that was occupied held two people. Miss Hardbroom, and a girl that looked startlingly like her.  
Miss Hardbrooom lay with her hair resting over her shoulders, eyes closed and chest slowly rising and falling. She looked peaceful in a way that Mildred hadn’t even imagined the woman was capable of feeling. On her chest lay a small child, although, her features made her look easily old enough to be at least fourteen. Like Miss Hardbroom, her hair was long and dark, and fell down her back like a holy scream going on forever. Her face was squared and slightly chubby, with a round nose and thin lips. Her skin looked to be a tanned yellow colour, quite unlike Miss Hardbroom, who was as white as the ghosts Mildred had supposed she lived with. 

The girl's arm was hooked around the older woman's waist, whilst Miss Hardbrooms hand absent-mindedly stroked her hair. A small smile graced the woman's lips, and she looked content. The pair were wearing matching, short-sleeved grey pajamas, Miss Hardbrooms signature leather gown hanging on the door across the room from Mildred.  
As far as Mildred knew, no one had ever seen the women's arms before. She tried squinting, to see what had remained so secretive about them that she clamoured herself in long sleeve dresses through all seasons, and, as rumour had it, had to be kept such a secret that she left last year's school summer picnic for. But it was no use, she couldn't see, too panicked to even think coherently.

How on earth was she going to get out?

But before she could ponder for too long, her eyes started to go fuzzy. It felt as though the room were twisting itself around her body, and before she could do anything, with a thump, everything went black.


	2. betty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates probably won't be this quick in the future. My writing is quite rusty at the moment, but I hope that this chapter is okay!?  
> EnJOY x

She should have noticed straight away that someone was in her chambers, but for some reason, she was far too content to be lulled into the darkness of her mind, and stroke her daughters raven hair- which looked much like her own- instead. In fact, it hadn’t even registered with her that someone was actually in her chambers until she heard the flop of a body onto the pale carpet.  
Both herself and her daughter, Betty, had startled up at the sound. She breathed heavily out of her nose, and made sure to look her daughter up and down, in case she was being deceived and something had happened. She was fine beside her wide brown eyes, which were directed towards a small dark lump across the room. Hecate sighed hastily, and grabbed her glasses from the table beside her.  
As she looked towards the lump, she saw that it wasn’t merely just a blanket in a heap on the floor. It was a student. More importantly, it was Mildred Hubble.

Mildred Hubble the first year who shouldn’t have been able to transfer- and who certainly hadn’t used the door, as she definitely would have noticed the sound of the door even if she hadn’t the transference. Mildred Hubble, the girl who had recently been able to suss out Agatha impersonating Ada Cackle before herself. Mildred Hubble who seemed to be the bane of her life since she’d arrived.

But, reminding herself that a passed out first year on the floor of her chambers (by what means was also quite concerning), she leaped up and fell onto her knees to check over whether the girl was breathing and her pulse.

A few minutes passed in silence as she hoped for the girl to revitalize, wake up and hopefully, tell her exactly what had happened. Her skin was warm to the touch, her heart rate slowing from the rapid thump it had been a few minutes ago, and her breathing just fine. Hecate sighed as Betty came closer, and crouched down on the other side of Mildred.

“She can stay in my bed, I’ll sleep in your room.” She said quietly, smoothing her hand over the mysterious girl's head. Hecate smiled at her daughter, the girl so unlike herself, but in some ways, a carbon copy.

“It’s fine, we should probably wait for her to come around and figure out how she has found herself here, of all places.” Hecate said, placing her hand over Bettys. “I’ll get her onto the sofa.”  
Hecate picked the frail girl's body up and carried her to the grey sofa, tucking her in with a wool grey blanket. She sighed again as she sat down beside her. 

“Mummy, who is it?” Betty asked, coming to stand nearer.

“This… is the infamous Mildred Hubble.” She drawled back, not in the slightest amused that the girl had dropped in on a precious moment with her daughter. The longer Hecate sat with the young girl, the more she picked up on the reason for her collapse.

Her stomach was churning quite loudly, grumbling for food. Hecate didn’t doubt that Mildred had skipped dinner, having done so herself at the vile concoction. The residue of magic seemed to be much more controlled than anything Mildred could be capable of- albeit, certainly not perfect if the girl had ended up in her chambers. Most likely, it would be an older girls’, if Mildred were not secretly hiding an incredible magical talent- which Hecate very much doubted.

A quick spell confirmed her suspicion- a fifth year, Philis Potterson’s crafty magic. She’d certainly be having words with the girl about the misuse of magic later.  
Hecate looked up from the girl into the imitation of her own brown orbs, “What’s wrong with her?” she asked.

“Transference gone wrong. Would you mind making some tea- three cups of the usual?”

Betty nodded, and went to make the tea, leaving Hecate with a few private moments to process what she was going to do with the wretched girl.

Besides the teaching staff, no one else knew about Betty. When Betty was younger, it was only natural for Hecate to want to keep her a secret- after all, a small child wandering around in a school of witches would only bring chaos, especially if she got any bright ideas from the older girls that were beyond her years.  
So she’d waited, and made sure that Betty went to a non-magical primary school to learn essential knowledge. As a mother, she’d never pushed her too hard, only knowing that it would drive her away.  
Hecate had always thought that by the time Betty was eleven, she’d start to show her magical capabilities, and make her undoubtedly proud- but she was sorely mistaken. She’d tried spell after spell with the eleven year old, earnestly trying to get her to show some spark- otherwise she wouldn’t be able to enroll at Cackles.

By selection day, Betty had still shown no signs of being magical, and after taking her to the witchdoctors, the news was broken that her daughter, Betty, was a non-magical. The news would have been more shocking to Hecate if she weren’t only a half-witch herself. Many of her family had been born without magic, down to a curse cast many generations back.  
If anything, she’d been in denial about the possibility of it before the witchdoctor. As far as it was possible to predict, it wavered in power each year. Hecate's grandparents were unbelievably talented in magic. Her mother was smart, but not enough to have wielded greatness herself. Hecate herself had had great troubles with her magic, but eventually, pushed through to an acceptable standard. It seemed that Betty had been the one to miss out.

So she’d kept her away- so long as she didn’t mix with the Cackles students, she wouldn’t miss what she didn’t have. But now, with Mildred Hubble undoubtedly having seen her, even Hecate couldn’t tell what was going to happen.   
If Hecate were a student, using forgetting powder would be the obvious option. But unfortunately, as a teacher, that was against the school rules.  
Hecate sighed, again. This was going to give her a serious headache. Somehow, she’d just have to make sure that Mildred kept this a secret...


	3. tea and toast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> two chapters in one day...  
> I wouldn't expect any more for a while aha.

Mildred woke up to the sweet smell of blackberries and blueberries- so it hadn’t been a dream, she cringed.  
As she opened her eyes, she was slightly startled at the sight beside her. There was a girl- the same girl she had seen Miss Hardbroom with before she passed out, a tray with toast and tea between them. The girl smiled at Mildred, who was inwardly screaming at whatever was going on.  
“Mummy said not to talk to you, but I couldn’t help myself.” She said, her voice sharp but deep, and slightly croaky- but croaky in a way that came naturally. She sighed, “You passed out. A transference gone wrong, apparently. But what would I know?” The girls’ brown orbs dropped slightly, as she looked towards the tray between them. “I brought you breakfast. We thought you’d wake up last night, I’d make you some tea, but you stayed asleep so we just left you.”

Mildred didn’t know what to say. She truly didn’t. Was this girl calling Miss Hardbroom- the scary, strict and gothic potions teacher- mummy? Mildreds head began to shake, and before she bolted up.  
“I’m… sorry. I…” Mildred began, “...Who are you?” She choked out, looking the girl over again.

The girl laughed, “I’m Betty Hardbroom. I’m non-magical- some stupid curse where one generation randomly has no magic.” She folded one arm and began to pinch at her neck before continuing, “You’re Mildred Hubble.” 

“Y-yes.” Mildred stuttered.

Betty’s eyes glinted as she stared. It was almost like a trait of Miss Hardbrooms, but with added humour instead of malice or frustration. “Mummy will be back in ten minutes, so ask away.” 

Ask away? What on earth did the girl mean? “W-what?”

Betty sighed, “You seem to have a stutter. Chill, I’m not going to grass you up. What I meant to say was, ask me whatever you ever wished to find out about the scary HB, and it’ll remain our secret.’

“Why? She’s your mum, and she would murder both of us if she found out.” Mildred stated, wanting to get out of the rooms as quickly as possible.

“Oh she wouldn’t care, not where I’m concerned. And besides, you’re the first Cackles girl I’ve ever spoken to, and probably the last.” Her eyes became downcast for a moment, but the twinkle of dismay was gone as quickly as it came.

“Could you-I mean-” She was cut off.

“You mean?” The mischievous tone was back, and Mildred wondered how on earth such a buoyant girl could possibly be Miss Hardbrooms daughter. Even by Miss Hardbroom’s standards of shrouding herself in secrecy, this was quite far fetched.

“What’s she like? As your mother? You seem to be pretty… uh… happy…” Mildred inwardly cursed herself, trust her to say the wrong thing to a Hardbroom.

“A lot nicer than she is as a teacher. You all really press her buttons, but it’s fine, she’s funny when she’s trying to be scary.” 

“Trying?”

“Trying. She’s actually as sweet as a-” The lock clicked, and Bettys grin grew wide. “Times up.”

Miss Hardbroom pushed the door open, and eyed her daughter, whom she’d specifically asked not to speak to Mildred. She sighed, closing the door behind her. “Betty, I told you not to-”

She was cut off. “I was only giving her breakfast and having a chat, it's fine!” She said, standing up, taking a cup from the dining table and placing it in Miss Hardbrooms hands.   
The word Shocked couldn’t even describe how Mildred felt right now. This girl- Betty- was spirited, humoured, and clearly, seriously used to doing as she pleased. She’d cut off Miss Hardbroom mid-speech for goodness sake! 

Mildred’s eyes coated over with fear, still scared that she was really in for it this time. Hecate sensed this, and hardened her own stare, glaring over at Betty- probably to warn her not to say a word whilst she was being authoritative. “I have spoken to the fifth years, and they will not be transferring you anywhere again. I have also rather a lot of cats detained until the fifth year are deserving of them again.” Hecate drawled, sipping her tea when she finished.

“I-I’m so sorry.” Mildred uttered, looking down. 

Betty was looking between the two, clearly fighting the urge to laugh. She was convulsing with pent-up amusement, and to Mildred, it was a wonder that Miss Hardbroom hadn’t given her a year’s worth of detention yet- even if she wasn’t a student at the school.

“Mildred, as you may have noticed, this is.... Well…. My daughter.” Miss Hardbroom looked very uncomfortable. “She is… non-magical and for her own good, and restrictions on forgetting powder, we expect you to keep this to yourself. Is that understood?” She finished, sternly in true HB fashion.

“Y-yes. Of course. Sorry.” blurted Mildred.

Miss Hardbroom didn’t nearly seem satisfied, but gestured towards the toast for Mildred to eat.   
After ten minutes, toast eaten and tea drained, Mildred was transferred back to her room, again having sworn not to say a word about Betty. But Miss Hardbroom hadn’t finished yet…

“What did you tell her?” She questioned.

“Well, just as you came in I was halfway through telling her that you’re as sweet as a cake. But its chill, she seemed pretty scared of me anyways.” 

“Betty, you cannot do that again. I am not even slightly as strict with you as I am the girls here. If they begin to think that they can take liberties with me, then they’ll endanger themselves with the misuse of magic.” Hecate clasped Bettys hand on her own. “I know it's hard for you to have to live here without magic or companionship, but it’s better than being out in...that… world.” Hecate's eyes softened.

“Can I be friends with her? Mildred. Please? I promise that I won’t let her use magic.” Betty pleaded. Hecate rolled her eyes- as though she hadn’t heard her daughter plead to mix with the Cackles girls many times before.

“Betty, no. I don’t want them leading you astray with something you can’t have.” Hecate reasoned, her heart aching for the disadvantages that her girl faced.

“But it… might be good. I can teach Mildred how to control herself properly, like you taught me. It could help her with her magic, like you always complain about. Please. If you don’t like our friendship then you can stop it. Please, mummy.” Betty begged.

Hecate closed her eyes, and said “No.” in a firmer way to her daughter than she had ever before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> leave a comment if you want some more.  
> I'm so sorry that my writing is so rusty at the moment.


	4. sneaking out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the responses! I was actually going to delete the story but now I guess I should keep writing.  
> I hope I don’t disappoint anyone when I say that Betty isn’t Pippa’s daughter. That was never planned, and I see no reason to conceal it. You’ll see why in this chapter.
> 
> Also, please imagine Betty as the dark haired Anne of Green Gables (just a little more… teasing?). AKA, she does a lot of deep talking at once :-)

Betty had had enough! 

It wasn’t usually in Betty’s nature to actually get annoyed with the rules her mother set in place- because without a doubt, she adored her mother to every nook and cranny. In fact, Hecate had even let Betty read her teenage diary, told her every single story there was about her own teenage years, and shown her picture after regrettable picture to make her understand why rules and behaviour were so important. Betty had understood all of the dangers of an unkempt world, and always tried to keep in line- at least where her mother was concerned, anyways...

“I only earned privileges and respect once I grew out of my silly ways, Betty.” She had told her after recounting the time when she had dyed her hair auburn, and how it had had a vanitized effect on her behaviour and mindset- how she’d become a wild red head for a year, until she saw what damage her recklessness was doing and dyed it pure black, immediatly feeling the calm that only black could bring.

Ada, who knew all about Betty, knew exactly how close mother and daughter were. It was a relationship that couldn’t be reciprocated with anyone else for the taller witch. A motherly call that, though many others didn’t see it, only seemed natural when the two ravens were seen together.

All these alone were reasons why Betty loved her mother so, but now, she really couldn’t take it anymore. Her own school had been out for two weeks, due to plumbing problems, and living on a mountain that no one else could see hadn’t been great for her already scarce social life. She was bored out of her bones in the chambers, and it really didn't help that the school holidays were coming up. As though spending six weeks instead of three alone in the castle wasn't bad enough.  
She just wished that she could have a friend in the castle, a reason to walk around in her magnificent home all the time- not just in the holidays when none of the students were around.

She had to admit, Mildred had entertained her. Despite their obvious age gap of four years (her mother had told her all about Mildred from Selection day onwards), she seemed like someone who she could get along with. Tentative, yes- who wouldn’t be speaking to Hecate Hardbroom's daughter, after all-, but scared out of her wits to push the boundaries and have fun, certainly not.

It was the rare occasion that Betty ever went against her mother's wishes- one reason being that Hecate, unlike with the students, gave Betty a ridiculous amount of freedom, so she'd never really needed to as long as Betty wasn't getting into trouble- but this time she felt an urge to.

So she did. She’d waited until Hecate had her board meeting with Ada (Betty knew that they’d stay simply chatting for a lot longer than the meeting was scheduled, and afterwards, she’d have a class to teach), and snuck out of the chambers. All of the girls seemed to be in classes, the corridors completely empty as Betty tread through the familiar pathways to where she knew Mildred's room would be, from many long-day wanderings when the castle was void of students.  
She planned to wait in Mildred's room for her. After all, she had to come back in between lessons, at least.

Going around the corner, she approached the door. There really was no going back if she deceived her mother…  
She opened the door, and was immediately so surprised at the sight before her, that she forgot about the nagging guilt inside her.

Shooting up as the door opened Mildred immediately eyed the familiar girl. Miss Hardbroom's girl. Her daughter. This couldn’t be good, she thought as she remained stock still staring at her, knowing that if HB had sent her, she was in for it.

“Sorry, I thought you’d be in a class.” Betty said, realising how rude the intrusion must have been. “Why aren’t you in class?”   
To be honest, Betty was glad she wasn't.

“I-I uh… didn’t feel very-” Mildred was cut off. It seemed to be a habit of Betty's- like her mother, she was impatient to get to the point as quickly as possible.

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell my mother. She’d kill me if she knew I was even here.” Betty said with a tinge of sadness hanging onto the corners of every word, hoping that it was enough to get the clearly frightened girl to open up to her. Mildred noticed this, and felt a rush of empathy for the girl, forgetting for a moment that she was Miss Hardbroom's daughter.

“Sorry. I- I just couldn’t stand the thought of going to chanting. E-Ethel's just been… intense lately…” Ushered Mildred as Betty sat down near the head of Mildred's bed.

Betty nodded in understanding, and went to speak herself, “If it helps, Mummy doesn’t think that much of her, really. It’s only because Ursula Hallow and my mother went to school together, and she’s made complaints before against my mother, that she is so lenient with Ethel. Esmerelda is the only one who mummy thinks well of. They weren’t really friends, but mummy knows what Ursula can be like to Ethel… So she makes an extra effort even when it's not deserved.” Mildred looked up in surprise., and Betty continued. “I’m sorry if I came across quite abruptly the other day, it felt so interesting to speak to a Cackles girl.”

Mildred let slip a slight smile, “It’s fine. And I won’t tell anyone about Ethel.” Betty whispered a thanks, and looked around the room before Mildred queried her. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure”

“What’s it like to live in a castle with magic, and not be...be uh-”

“Magic?” Mildred nodded. “Its… lonely. As mummy told you, she doesn’t want me talking to any of you, but I just couldn’t help myself. My school is off because of flooding, and these last two weeks have been so loathsome- you seemed like someone who I could...be friends with. If you want to, I mean?” For a second, Betty was scared she’d overstepped. What if Mildred told her mother, thinking that she was trying to intrude on the magical world?

Mildred, however, thought for a second at Betty's clearly sad situation. It wasn’t as though Mildred had never felt like an outsider herself, and perhaps if she became friends with Betty, even Miss Hardbroom would see all the good it would do. After all, there was just this sadness to Betty that didn’t seem to need explaining, and if Mildred could help, she would. She smiled, “I’d like that. And I won’t tell HB, your secrets are safe with me.” She giggled.

Betty’s eyes lit up, not with amusement, but with sheer joy as she swallowed Mildred in a tight hug. “Thank you!” She whispered, voice tickling Mildred’s ear as she returned the hug. 

After a few seconds, they broke apart, and both began to ask each other all about each other's lives.   
Like herself, Betty also had no father (something that wasn’t hard to work out from her mother). “Mummy just wanted me, no man, and no other responsibilities. I know she seems so traditional, but when it came to me, a father didn’t come into the question- only what was necessary for her to… well… you know.” Betty snorted.

“But don’t you wish you had one?”

“Oh no. I’ve read her diaries from when she was a teenager, and she just seemed so uncomfortable and unhappy with a father- or any man.” Betty tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

“Was… was he bad? You know… like…” Mildred tried to get the words out, but failed. She so desperately didn’t want to hit a nerve with Betty.

But all that was hit was whatever button controlled her candy-heart smiles, as she replied, “No, no, sorry, that’s not what I meant. He just really pissed her off. He made her so angry, and well.. As you could probably tell, it's hard for her to love much, really. She loved her mother, and her old friends, but… its men she really can’t stand. But she can’t stand them in the way that she can’t stand girls pining over men and their bodies. Improper, she says. Although, she did have some male friends.” 

Miss Hardbroom with male friends seemed so hard to believe. “When she was younger?”

“Yeah. Two by the time she was my age, all the others were just… not her thing. Especially since she went to Cackles, she never really saw them except at her parents’ parties.” With every word that came out of Betty’s mouth, Mildred felt every nail of shock hit into her every nerve more. Miss Hardbroom at a party?

“Wow… What about female friends? Does she have any of those anymore?” Mildred wondered allowed, wondering if it were possible for her to find out anything else about her aloof potions mistress. Did she have an entire legion of best friends behind those closed chamber doors? Or a palace of pink witches that she drowned all of her sorrows with? Every possibility seemed open to her.

“I... probably shouldn’t tell you this…” Betty paused, and then continued, “...But she used to be best friends with… Pippa Pentangle and uhr, Winifred Amulet. They were a three, but Pippa was her utmost best friend… When mummy was in fourth year, she and Pippa used to get in trouble together, used to tell each other everything, and were just so… amiable. But then mummy got scared that she’d ruin them… and cut them off. They got back, and then off again. Pippa was on her last straw with mummy after the second time, because mummy just wouldn’t tell her what was going on in her head. It was summer anyway, so they didn’t speak too often until fifth year. From there, everything seemed okay… but Weirdsister College ruined them, and they just stopped talking…” Betty winced, clearly there was more to the story than she was letting on.

But before Mildred could respond, the bell went, signalling the end of chanting. She sighed- she had potions next, and if she missed potions, Miss Hardbroom would certainly get suspicious.

“Oh… do you have to…?” Betty asked.

“Yeah… Sorry. Potions with HB.” Mildred started shoving things into her bag without really looking.

Betty sighed, but stood up and embraced Mildred once more. “I’ll… I’ll come see you tonight when Mummy is doing rounds. I know how long she takes in certain wings, so I’ll have a few minutes. Just… make a list of times when you’re free, and give it to me then.”  
It seemed as though Betty had certainly inherited Miss Hardbroom's quick thinking, Mildred thought.

She smiled at Betty, and made her way out of the room, hoping that Betty would make her own way back without being caught.

She did. She made her way back, and was exuberant to go back again later that evening...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave comments if you liked this chapter...


	5. socks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for your responses! I was honestly really worried about how Betty was coming across and whether or not it was believable.
> 
> This is quite a short chapter, and I am trying to include the actual story line. I'll try to update again before the end of the week, but things have become quite busy, and from the 4th September, updates won't be nearly as often for quite a while. But I'll do what I can, because you are all such amazing readers!

True to her word, Betty was back at nine o’clock that night, looking slightly flustered no doubt from having to run and make sure that she went unseen by any of the other girls.

Mildred was slightly unhinged, she was already meant to be stealing one of Miss Bats socks and reporting back to Enid that night. This all felt too risky, but hopefully, things would work out. Betty would be quick, anyhow, it’s not as though she could hang around for long if her mother was on the prowl.

“Have you got the list?” She asked, slightly breathlessly. Mildred handed her the list, and watched her eyes scan over the little amount of free time Mildred had when she wasn’t skipping lessons. “I can meet in mummies chambers on Mondays after break, but you’d have to come five minutes after the bell, just in case. And Thursdays and Fridays after lunch. Are there any lessons you can skip?” Betty said, before Mildred could get a word in edgeways.

“In her chambers? But what if she-” Mildred started.

Betty waved her hand, “Oh it's fine, she wouldn’t notice.” 

Mildred nodded, slightly worried that perhaps this wasn’t such a good idea. “I-I can skip chanting, but we’d need to be in here just in case anyone notices.” 

Betty smiled at Mildred, who was twirling her plats nervously. It occurred to Betty that maybe asking her to skip lessons wasn’t the best idea, especially as she’d often heard her mother complaining of the girls lack of ability as per coming from a non-magical background. “Its fine. We can do Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays.” She said, shoving the paper in her pocket.

“What if one of us has to cancel?” Mildred queried. After all, if Betty needed to cancel because HB was in her chambers, and Mildred came and knocked at the door, that wouldn’t be good. The same would go if Maud and Enid were in her room and Betty came looking for her.

Betty started fishing around in her pockets, and pulled out an older looking iPhone and charger. She thrust them in Mildred's hand, “My old phone. Use the snapchat account, there isn’t an actual phone number on the phone. Anyway, I have to go, see you.” She rushed, almost sprinting out of the door and leaving a slightly confused Mildred in her absence, as well as a wide open door.

Mildred closed the door, and hid the phone in a draw by her bed. Hopefully, Betty wouldn’t bump into Miss Hardbroom or Enid- or anyone else for that matter. She grabbed her broomstick, and made her way to Miss Bats chambers, already knowing that the woman would likely be asleep. Hopefully, she’d be back in time for Miss Hardbroom to see that she wasn’t up to anything.

*  
Miss Hardbroom was near furious. Instead of reading poetry with Betty before going to bed, she was up hastily trying to find a replacement teacher for Miss Bat tomorrow. She’d told Betty that she couldn’t read with her, and that she’d have to do it alone, and promised her the next night. Something about socks, but she wouldn’t say exactly what.

Betty understood, of course. She’d been slightly disappointed, eager to read quite a long poem by Tennyson with her. So instead, she’d gotten ready for bed, knowing that her mother needed space to sort out what hadn’t been an issue when she’d stepped out for rounds forty minutes ago. That had always been something good about their relationship- they both understood each other's boundaries and need for space, especially with their almost separate lives.

She’d decided to message Mildred, wondering what the young witch was up to, after all, when most things that stressed her mother out happened, they usually came down to Mildred.

B- Mummy’s stressed about something to do with socks, do you know anything?

She took about ten minutes to reply, and by this point, she could hear her mother on the phone to someone.

M- I’ll tell you soon. Can’t message much, Enid is here.

Betty decided to leave it, and ask Mildred in the morning what was apparently so important about some teachers' socks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a comment if you liked :-)   
> Love you all x


	6. trouble

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I'm so sorry for the late update.   
> The month holiday (four weeks for time purposes) is from the original book, and gives time and space for the rest of season 1 to take place.

Well, she hadn’t been able to talk much the next morning, and was only able to send off a quick text to Betty saying “Things are happening, can't meet today, I’ll tell you on Friday after lunch.” Just like that, Betty’s thursday was weathered by a dark cloud. It was a shame, she thought, that Mildred clearly had such a busy life, whereas she had next to nothing.

Her mother had been in quite a good mood when she saw her after lunch on Thursday, talking about someone called Ms Darkside who had clearly lived up to her mother's view of her reputation. It warmed Betty’s heart to see her mother so excited, at least, until later, when it turned out that Miss Darkside had gone and that a girl named Drusilla Paddock was in a lot of trouble for pretending to be Miss Cackle.

In fact, Mildred and Betty were only able to send snaps for a week, as Mildred couldn’t risk another run in with trouble, and the fact that even Betty had to cancel, on account of having to do some reading instead. But the following Friday, Mildred- nervous about being so close to Miss Hardbroom's door, never mind going inside- came to see her, and told her the story of ‘Miss Darkside’. 

Betty couldn’t help laughing, finding the whole situation of Mildred pretending to be a teacher- and her excited mother, bless- ostentatiously comical. “Aw she was so happy, it’s a shame she never really got to meet her!” Betty exclaimed through tears of amusement.

Mildred found herself really able to talk to Betty- clearly, she wasn’t the girl who anyone would assume the daughter of Hecate Hardbroom to be. They had quite a good time that hour, talking about the trouble they’d caused teachers in the past. It appeared that Mildred Hubble wasn’t the only misfit around.

“I was one of the worst pupils in my year, but they never told my mother. They only really have a go at us, and give us minus’s, but only on the rare occasion do they actually call mummy. She always thinks it’s a one off because she never checks online.” Betty giggled, “I understand why the rules are so important, now that I’ve had time to think, but I’ve certainly had my fun!”

“What have you done that could be worse than impersonating a supply-witch?” Mildred asked, genuinely curious about the secret life of Betty Hardbroom.

Betty looked down, a cheeky smile spreading across her lips, before looking up with a diamond kiss in her eye. “Well, I’ll tell you about this year- any more and I may as well write a book.” She inhaled, for what would be a long recalled list of silly behaviour, “Me and my friend Donna got kicked out of two lessons in the same week, for blowing things up, which almost never happens. That time they called mummy. We always used to be around ten minutes late to lessons, especially geography and chemistry, and we’d deliberately drop our stuff off and run out of the classroom before the teachers came, but they never said anything about it. And another time we climbed over this wall that led to an old people's home because we couldn’t be bothered to walk around to get to PE. But we made too much noise and had to write an apology to the residents- mummy never found out about that one, strangely.” Betty imploded with giggles, and it occurred to Mildred that maybe Betty would be up for fun with her too- as long as they weren’t caught. But they’d have to see how they went for a while, and not rush into silly plans too soon.

“Have you ever pranked the teachers?”

“No, not really. Just mess around in lessons- they never say anything. But I suppose they will next year as we have exams, so I can’t keep...keep-” Betty could barely hold it together through fits of laughter. “...skipping assembly in the store cupboards-” 

Mildred couldn’t help laughing- after all, there was no way anyone at Cackles could get away with skipping the daily assemblies without being caught by HB. But then again, in many ways, it sounded as though Betty’s school was different when it came to discipline. From the other stories of Betty’s misconduct of jumping down staircases, climbing trees and climbing through the thin window of her bedroom onto the balcony, Mildred summarized that the school she went to was clearly one of the more chilled out ones, and like Cackles, not too big on telling the parents, but unlike Cackles, not one to pick up on all the the superfluous behaviour of the pupils.

“So it’s a boarding school then?” Mildred asked after the story about the smashed living room window, and how the teacher had gone crazy and thought it had been Betty and another girl names Norma, but in the end, had come to the conclusion that whatever happened was fixable, and that the girls were innocent, from the direction of the object that had flown through (Betty recounted this as a near death experience, rather than something she’d actually done).

“Yes, mummy didn’t want me coming up and down the mountain everyday, and thought that it would be safer if there were someone who could keep an eye on me all of the time. But they never really tell her much, so she thinks I’m a little angel mostly. Except at parent’s evenings anyways- that’s when all the teachers grass on me. Then mummy always starts telling me about her own trouble when she was a school girl, and how I shouldn’t just mess around the way I do. ”

“Oh no, parent’s evening tonight!” Mildred gasped, suddenly remembering that it was now her time to shine as a glittering green blob of trouble. “Betty...do you...do you know what HB may say about me?” It was worth a try, Mildred thought. At least she could be prepared after blowing the potions lab up that morning. 

Betty grimaced. “Well… She may have a list… a list of things that you’ve done wrong, since, well.. Forever. At Cackles I mean…” Betty said, feeling downcast for her friend. To be on the wrong end of her mother was to go to hell and back.

“Oh.” Mildred sighed. The bell rang, much to both girls’ dismay, and Mildred had to go. “Uh- thanks… I’ll… I’ll be back on Monday…”  
She darted for the door.  
“Millie- Millie, wait!” Betty cried, not wanting this to be how they parted. “Look, if it helps, an Enid Nightshade is really in for it too. And even a good girl called Maud...Spell…. Spell something. It’ll be okay, don’t worry. You’re not the worst witch!” Betty said, hugging Mildred, who was eternally grateful for the reassurance, but not entirely convinced. 

“Thanks… I’ll message you... “ She said, leaving quickly to go to her potions class.

*

Later that night, Mildred recounted her new almost-expulsion with a sneaky laugh. It had been quite amusing at parent’s evening in general, especially when her mother started correcting Miss Hardbroom from her long list of Mildred’s misdemeanors. 

Betty had kindly messaged, asking how it had gone. It warmed Mildred’s heart to know that she had someone who cared so much.

M- Pretty good, Mum corrected HB on her list, but you’ll probably hear all about that :-)

B- Certainly! If only mummy was like that with my teachers, even if we don’t have a witches code.

M- do you know when you’re going back yet?

B- In September… Two weeks until my summer, six weeks!

M- Oh lucky! We only get four, then we’re back for second year.

They continued texting for a while about various things; school curriculums, holiday plans, schools etc. For once, Betty felt… complete.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed.  
> Just a quick note...  
> Updates from now onwards won't be very often, as I quite literally won't have time to write due to other demands of time. I'll try to update once or twice more this week, but the likely hood is, October will be the next time I can give a good update.
> 
> Please leave comments xx


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